A vanilla bean is an extravagance that lends a note of sophistication to this drink, but extract is a fine substitute.
Cook's notes:
Cooler can be chilled, covered, up to 1 day. Vanilla pod can be placed in a jar of sugar to flavor it.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1 1/2 quarts
Ingredients
1 lb strawberries (1 qt), trimmed and halved (quartered if large)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar
4 cups water
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Blend strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and 2 cups water in a blender, 1 to 2 minutes (in batches if necessary). Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of a knife into blender (or add extract), then blend with strawberry purée. If desired, pour through a very fine sieve into a pitcher to remove strawberry seeds, pressing hard on solids. Stir in remaining 2 cups water and serve over ice.
